FDA loves to talk a good game about independence, but they are far more driven by political trends then they'd like to admit. Case in point: in 2008, the Democr

FDA loves to talk a good game about independence, but they are far more driven by political trends then they'd like to admit. Case in point: in 2008, the Democratic house jumped up and down about the under regulation of medical devices and diagnostics. FDA Warning Letters (a big deal that largely prevents a company from releasing new products) to device/diagnostic companies doubled the next year.